a lifestyle blog

lips

It has been so exceptionally difficult to motivate myself to do a damn thing that isn’t work lately, including keeping up with posts I’d like to share (obviously). My Lip Hoarder challenge has been going relatively well, though May has been a month full of being too lazy or busy to apply any makeup whatsoever, so progress is happening slowly. I have whittled my way down (after this point) to a myriad of shades that are a little vampy or out-there, so wearing new shades has started to become a challenge in and of itself. However, I don’t want to give up yet, and it’s interesting to see which shades I miss the most – like a weird orangey-coral from Nyx that I would never expect to be the lipstick I long to wear. You’ll notice in round four that I tended toward Spring-y shades with a dash of alternative colors thrown in intermittently.

2. Burt’s Bees Lipstick in “Blush Basin” – While this isn’t a particularly flattering shade on me (and I have already destashed it because of that), I am impressed with the cute honeycomb packaging and the moisturizing formula of the Burt’s Bees lipstick. I’d try it again in a cooler nude or dusty pink shade.

3. Nyx Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in “Stone Fox” – This project has made me realize that super duper dark, vampy shades are just not too pretty on my fair skin, but I do think this is a good product. I much prefer “Stone Fox” to number 13 on this list, “Oh Put it On”. It’s a rich charcoal gray that dries matte and doesn’t pull away from your inner lip line.

4. Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in “Lovecraft” – I like “Lovecraft” and want to try more KVD Studded Kiss lipsticks after trying this one, but it’s a little too close in shade to number 7 on this list, UD “Backtalk”, and I’m afraid I prefer “Backtalk”, so I’ll be passing this little guy along.

5, Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip in “Kink” – For a long time, I was anti lip gloss. It gave me too many high school flashbacks. Lately, however, I’ve been particularly enjoying the highly-pigmented Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lips, and “Kink” is no different. It’s a cool-toned fuchsia with sparkle and I hate that it was limited edition, as it’s one of my more fun shades to wear. Not that I’ll ever use up an entire lip product in this lifetime, but I’d like for others to have the opportunity to try it!

6. RealHer Plumping Gloss in “I Am A Rockstar” – Though I absolutely hate number 11 on this list, RealHer’s “I Am Gorgeous”, I do like this lip gloss as a solid neutral gloss. It’s nonsticky, but I want to do an immediate side by side of this with Trust Fund Beauty’s lip gloss to see which basic neutral gloss is more worth keeping.

7. Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in “Backtalk” – Backtalk is the first lipstick I’ve ever bought for myself that cost over $10! I’ve been gifted others or received them in subscription boxes, but Backtalk was my first experience with trying a sample of something and immediately rushing to Sephora to hand over $17 for the full-sized lipstick. It’s my favorite pinky nude that I own, and looks even more flattering now that I’ve dyed my hair dark.

Nyx Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in “Industrial Paradise” – I’ve noticed that pastels are really, really difficult for most companies to pull off, so I was surprised by how well baby blue “Industrial Paradise” worked. It applied smoothly and was completely opaque, though it did wear off since I wore it to grab tacos and margaritas with a friend. It’s not a color I’ll be able to wear often, but I’m pleased with it.9. NARS Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in “Gold Digger” – I feel totally neutral about this. I guess for the price of a full sized tube, I’m disappointed. It adds a sheen, I guess, but it’s not enough to wear alone and I’m just not impressed like I am with the Colourpop glosses.10. bareMinerals Pop of Passion Lip Oil Balm in “Pink Passion” – I’ve written before that I’m fond of the bareMinerals Pop of Passion balms, and this one is no exception. I like the bright pink shade. I think they’d be a good replacement for something like the Glossier Generation G Sheer Lipsticks. They aren’t matte, but they have decent color payoff for a sheer and they are made to be moisturizing/soothing to your lips!11. RealHer Matte Liquid Lipstick in “I Am Gorgeous” – I have no idea what the wear on this product is like because I ripped it off my lips within 30 seconds of applying. First, it’s too pale and gives me early 00’s Tara Reid fashion vibes. Secondly, it’s thin but way too easy to apply way too much. It’s one of those few products that I will probably just throw away because I wouldn’t want to curse anyone else with it.12. Trust Fund Beauty Lipstick in “Try to be Nice” – I am really fond of this lipstick. I like Trust Fund Beauty as a brand – their products aren’t incredible, but they’re nice and different and I like supporting smaller companies, especially when they’re cruelty-free. I love that this lipstick is a creamy lilac shade but that it wears down to a soft pink. The wear makes it easy to pull off in more conservative situations while still wearing a slightly alternative color. It seems that this shade has been discontinued, which I hate, so I plan to keep and enjoy this tube while it lasts.13. Nyx Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in “Oh, Put It On” – Hate, hate, hate, loathe entirely. I am a huge advocate for the Nyx Liquid Suede Lipsticks and think, in general, they’re the best bang for your buck when it comes to matte liquid lip products. This deep, blackened violet is a complete bust, though. It’s impossible to apply – even the matching lip liner was patchy, and the lipstick immediately pulls away from your inner lip line and began flaking off before I could even leave the house. I don’t know why this one shade is so terribly useless, but it is, and I’ll probably just throw it away.14. Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipstick in “Chihuahua” – Something I like: The applicator! It was different but effective and I liked how smoothly the lipstick applied. Something I dislike: The shade was a little too brown and warm for me, so I passed this baby on to my mom, for whom Glossier Skin Tint in “Dark” is too pale. Riddle me that.

Overall, I have really been enjoying my Lip Hoarder project. The only downside thus far is that every now and then I will try a product that I’ve owned for awhile and been hesitant to try, just to discover that I absolutely love it and want to wear it every day. I’ve been fine so far with using my favorite rosy nudes only once, as it seems there are always a couple more still on my shelf to be used in the future. I still haven’t gotten around to destashing anything – I may wait until the entire project is done to do a thorough cleanse, but I wonder if setting aside products I want to get rid of immediately after wearing them and deciding I hate/dislike them would be better in the moment.

Here’s to round three of Lip Hoarder!

1. Nyx Liquid Suede in “Initiator” | Initiator came in a 3 pack I ordered from the Nyx website, and apparently that’s actually the only way it can be purchased! However, the trio is still available for only $6 while one Nyx Liquid Suede Cream is normally $6.99, so if there’s any chance you’ll wear more ~adventurous~ colors, I highly recommend it. Initiator was the shade I was the least excited about trying – nothing about an orangey brown seemed like it would work for my skin. Miraculously, though, I adore it for Spring, and I cannot wait to be able to pull it out again.

3. Colourpop Lippie Stix in “Lumiere” | Lumiere (and the matching lip liner) are my absolute favorite items I own from Colourpop. Described as a dusty mauve matte, it suits my coloring perfectly.

4 & 5. NudeStix Lip and Cheek Dual Pencil in “Whisper/Mystic” | I want to like NudeStix. I like the brand story (founded by teen sisters and their mom to celebrate everyone’s “natural beauty”. I used Mystic repeatedly, hoping to suddenly like it. I even tried Whisper more than once, though it gave me concealer lips. These shades just do not work for me, though. Whisper is too pale and Mystic is too warm, and neither are particularly long-lasting.

6. Nyx Liquid Suede in “Brooklyn Thorn” | Luckily, I have yet to find a Nyx Suede formula I dislike. Brooklyn Thorn is the gray-brown I never knew I needed (jk, I knew I needed it) and it’s an absolute favorite. A little edgy without being too dramatic, it’s a shade I’m comfortable wearing regularly.

7. Julep Your Lip Addiction Lip Oil in “Covet” | Eeee I love this little lip oil. I think I added it on just to receive free shipping on some Julep order, and I’ve ended up really valuing it. The lip oil adds just enough color while being really moisturizing and glossy, without the added stickiness.

8. Cailyn Pure Lust Extreme Matte Tint in “Hospitable” | This … is … the worst lip product I’ve ever used. I hate to say that, it’s so aggressive, but it’s true. I have never tried another Cailyn product, so I certainly wouldn’t make that statement about the company as a whole (which, on the plus side, is cruelty-free) but this ‘Pure Lust Extreme Matte Tint’ was bad in every way. The shade was pale & concealer-y, again, It dried instantaneously and and fell into every crack and crevice of my lips in the most unflattering way possible, and was then impossible to remove. I had to use my oil cleanser and scrubscrubscrub to get it to budge, at which point my lips were extra tender and red. Do not and cannot recommend.

9. Clinique Almost Lipstick in “Pink Honey” | I like it, but I don’t love it. I’m realizing that I simply don’t need multiple lightly tinted balm-like products, and Clinique’s Almost Lipsticks just aren’t special enough for me to want to keep them in my collection.

10. Lancome Juicy Shaker in “Boom-Meringue” | I don’t know why I felt the need to pick this up after already owning the Julep Lip Oil, but I did! It’s sweetly scented and has a cute little applicator and schtick (the, you know, shaking bit), but honestly it just isn’t up to par with my oil from Julep.

11. Manna Kadar Lip Locked Priming Stain in “Lucky” | Manna Kadar has been shoved down beauty box subscribers throats over the past year, but they do have some products I really enjoy (such as the Fantasy eyeshadow/highlighter). I have finally given up on this one, though. It applies nicely and is pigmented for a ‘gloss’, but it always forms that weird, gross pale line where my lips meet. It’s time to move on.

I am slowly but surely progressing through my personal challenge to wear every lipstick I own (which is over seventy-five, by the way) without repeating them. I want to force myself to try colors outside of my comfort zone and remember why I hardly wear some shades, as well as re-discover old favorites.

2. Clinique Chubby Stick in “Richer Raisin” – Sheer and a little warm for me, but I like the chubby stick formula. I’ve almost used it up completely, but that’s mostly because it’s easy to throw in my bag and apply without a mirror. Minimal effort products get used up more quickly!

3. Lime Crime Velvetine in “Mercury” – Great formula in a shade I expected to love, but the metallic finish made me feel like a robot. I will absolutely try it again with a different lip liner/overall makeup look.

4. Julep It’s Balm Lip Crayon in “Dusty Orchid Shimmer” – I really like the formula of this – it’s moisturizing and relatively long-lasting, considering the chubby-stick-style applicator. I like the color of the balm crayon, but I’m not crazy about the shimmer. I just don’t think shimmer on my lips is a look I can get into for awhile after wearing glittery glosses all through middle school.

5. Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick in “Amulet” – I thought I’d hate this – the color was all wrong for me in the tube: a slight shimmery terracotta red. However, once I applied it, I really liked the way the color dried. It had a semi-matte finish with no semblance of shimmer, and it wasn’t nearly as warm as I expected it to be. The formula itself was really nice for a liquid lipstick, non-drying, long-lasting, and it didn’t make my lips look like creepy prunes. The Vice Liquid Lipstick line may be my favorite liquid lipstick formula.

7. Julep Lip Butter in “Dahlia” – This sheer, bright fuchsia was a little controversial when it was released. Julep Lip Butter was released last summer as a “yay, SPF, sun protection!” product, but the SPF 30 expired only a month after they were released. Frankly, I don’t care so much about that, but I get why it pissed people off. Personally, I love the formula for a light wash of color – it’s exceptionally moisturizing.

8. Lipstick Queen “Frog Prince” – Frog Prince is Lipstick Queen’s most popular lipstick, primarily because it’s green in the tube and turns to a sheer pink on your lips. It’s fine, the packaging is beautiful, the formula is moisturizing, but I just don’t think it’s a $25 lipstick.

9. LAQA & Co. Avocado Lip Butter in “Ninza” – This is moisturizing and such a pretty, rich berry shade. However, it faded quickly. It’s worth keeping but I’d be more likely to wear it to a play than to an entire day at work or something.

FYI, the numbered photos & the second, brighter set of swatches were both taken in natural light – the second set was right in front of an open window, while the primary set wasn’t in direct light. As you can see, I’m still easing into my less conventional colors. And holy cow… could I have more variations of a neutral nude my-lips-but-better shade? One thing this project has made me realize is that I will never be one of those people who has 3 lipsticks they rotate through and that’s it. I love too many different colors and too many different finishes. However, nearly 100 lipsticks is ridiculous, sample-size or not, so I’m hoping this process will help me at least eliminate some of the formulas I dislike.

I recently went through my makeup collection and was simultaneously horrified/impressed to discover that I have about 70 lip products. Do you know how many lipsticks I’ve used up since I started using makeup in high school? Zero. Now, none of these are that old by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve been pretty good about doing a seasonal (ok, yearly) sweep of my cosmetics and tossing whatever is expired or that I don’t like anymore, but if I’m never using up all my lip colors, why the heck do I keep buying more? New formulas, new colors, new trends? Sure, but how many my-lips-but-better nude shades can a girl have? Or more appropriately, how many should a girl have?

One of my 2017 goals is to wear every one of my lip products without repeating until I’ve used them all up. The lip colors pictured above are the ones I’ve worked through so far! Click through the break for swatches and reviews.

1. Crazy Rumors Hibiskiss in “Coral” – I wish I liked this sweet little tinted lip balm. The color is an almost metallic, sheer coral that is just not pretty on me. However, it is really moisturizing & affordable, so I could see it working well on someone with a different skintone.

2. Colourpop Ultra Satin in “Wink” – I really love this liquid lip & hate that it was limited edition. Wink is a full coverage, satin finish, cool-toned wine shade that applies easily and lasts at least half the work day before needing a touch up.

3. Nyx Matte Lipstick in “Up the Bass” – “Up the Bass” is right up my alley, color-wise. It’s not so matte that it highlights every tiny detail of your lip lines and on my skin it looks like a perfect purpley-gray. It is not long-lasting and it seemed impossible to get the color to stick over the inner portion of my lips, but I also didn’t apply a lip primer before wear.

5. Nyx High Voltage Lipstick in “Twisted” – I love the vivid, cool purple color of this lipstick, but Nyx’s High Voltage lipsticks (now rebranded as Turnt Up! lipsticks – yuck) have a lot of pigmentation, a satin finish, and not a long wear time. I don’t mind reapplying, but don’t count on these babies to last you a couple cups of coffee or a bagel.

6. Nyx Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in “Kitten Heels” – Nyx’s Liquid Suedes are the best drugstore liquid matte lipsticks in the business, imo. Kitten Heels is a bit more of an orange-red than I’m comfortable with, but the pigmentation and application are great.

7. Colourpop Ultra Satin in “Bijou” – This is another holiday limited edition release from Colourpop. I love Colourpop’s Ultra Satin formula, but this shade was much darker than I’d expected. Bijou was advertised as a “dusty orchid” and while the swatch looks spot on, on my lips it looks much darker – like a grape juice colored lipstick, maybe. I still like it, I’ll still wear it, it just wasn’t what I expected.

8. Trust Fund Beauty Lip Gloss in “Blame Game” – Current favorite lip gloss. I’m not a lip gloss girl, but Trust Fund Beauty’s isn’t sticky and applies relatively sheer, in case I need to breathe a little life into a matte shade (I wouldn’t try to use it over a pale pink or lavender, though).

9. Nyx Liquid Suede Cream in “Soft-Spoken” – Is there anyone on the planet that doesn’t think “Soft-Spoken” is the be all, end all affordable nude lip? I haven’t seen it look bad on anyone, ever, the formula is perfect, and if I could only have one lipstick for the next year, this is the one I’d choose.

10. Clinique Almost Lipstick in “Black Honey” – I like Black Honey for everyday. It’s a sheer warm berry that you can apply without a mirror, and I’ve almost used up this deluxe sample (which is rare!). However, it’s recently been replaced for me by Lipstick Queen’s Hello Sailor.

11. Lipstick Queen “Hello Sailor” – Now this is my new favorite every day, no frills moisturizing sheer berry lip color. It’s cooler than Black Honey and therefore will probably work on less skintones, but it’s perfect for me. Worth $25? Maybe, maybe not, but it is more wearable than almost any other lipstick I own, so it’s worth it for me.

12. glominerals Suede Matte Crayon in “Demure” – I received this matte lip crayon in a New Beauty Test Tube Best of New Beauty 2016 box. And it IS wonderful. It’s easy to apply, truly matte without being drying, and fully-pigmented. There’s also a sharpener built into the packaging!

13. Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in “Firebird” – I really like the formula for UD Vice lipsticks. Firebird is a hot pink with a blue shift when it hits the light. It’s not an every day lipstick, but I love it nonetheless.

14. Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Lip Satin in “Cashmere” – This is a great product that feels like I’m wearing absolutely nothing on my lips. It’s a great nude shade with a semi-matte finish that feels amazing. Worth almost $50? No, but I can’t imagine a lipstick that would be.

15. Colourpop Ultra Matte in “Embellish” – Sadly, this is my least favorite product I’ve worn so far. I think it’s possible that Colourpop’s Ultra Matte formulas just aren’t for me. Embellish applied patchy and faded in a way that made me look like a zombie – but that could just be deep brown/almost black shades in general.

16. Nars Satin Lip Pencil in “Rikugien” – Ah yes, the lip pencil that all Sephora customers have received a hundred times over (hence my picturing two deluxe samples here, and I gave away another two last year!). It’s a pale pink with slight shimmer that is easy to apply and wear, but it’s not very exciting and there are pinks I prefer on my skin tone.

And below are all the pretty baby lip products I have left to wear … and with more on the way, I’m afraid! This self-imposed challenge has been easy so far, but I’m a little nervous about when I get down to only navy and grays and purples!

I am trying out using affiliate links, which means that I may earn a tiny commission if you click on a link or make a purchase through a link posted here - thanks Mom! As usual, I will never, ever praise a product I don't actually believe in.